Game board device



1946- o. MAUTNER any. 2,409,373 GAMEBOABD DEVICE Filed June 19, 1944 34 64 .88 82 v v INVENTORS. 86 80 OSCAR MAUTNER- 56 BY 7 MARK K-LEBWORTH.

Patented Oct. 15, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME BOARD DEVICE Oscar Mautner, Crestwood, and Mark K.

Lebworth, New York, N. Y.

Application June 19, 1944, Serial No. 540,962

v Claims.

This invention relates to a gameboard device. It is an object of the invention to provide a device for playing a gamewhich will incorporate a high degree of skill and dexterity in manipulation. and also will provide means for holding the interest of the participants, in order that the participants will be induced continuously to apply themselves, particularly as the game is designed for exercising the muscles of the fingers, hands and arms of injury or partial paralysis cases.

It is an object of the invention to provide a gameboard for a game wherein is incorporated the interest of fitting a square peg into a round hole.

It is an object of the invention to provide, for a game of the type indicated, a gameboard having a plurality of recesses or depressions, wherein a distinctive contouring isimparted to the various recesses, or groups of recesses, and one or more playing pieces, wherein the various pieces, or groups of pieces, have distinctive shaping, so that each playing piece mayinterfit with and become nested in one or more of the recesses in the board. Thus, this cooperation of playing piece and recess gives rise to a game of skill in manipulation of the board to bring the playing piece to rest with one of its contours interfitted with one of the recesses.

Other objects of this invention will be set forth hereinafter, or will be apparent from the description and the drawing, in which are illustrated embodiments of apparatus exemplifying the invention. i

Theinvention, however, is not intended to be restricted to any particular construction, or any particular application of such construction or arrangement of parts, or any specific method of operation, or any of various details thereof, even where specifically shown and described herein, as the same may be modified in various particulars, or may beapplied in many varied relations, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, practical constructions embodying certain details of the invention being illustrated and described, but only for the purpose of complying with the requirements of the statues for the disclosure of operative embodiments, but without attempting to disclose all of the various forms and modificationsin which the invention might be embodiedQ V On'the drawing, in which the same reference characters refer to the same parts throughout, and in which aredisclosed such operative embodiments, f

playing piece for the same purpose;

Fig. 5 is a view of another type of playing piece for that purpose; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken transversely and longitudinally of the playing piece shown in Fig. 3, the ball being shown in elevation.

Gameboard I0, shown on the drawing, may

' comprise a slab I2 of any desired material. For

instance, slab I2 may be formed by being cut out of plywood, or it may be molded from plastic. Any suitable design may be utilized in determining the outer bounds of the board. The dimensions of the slab, such as thickness and total extent, are determined by factors such as the weight of the particular material from which the slab is made, in relation to bulkiness, for proper manipulation. Slab I: may have a handle it for control of the slab during the various manipulations necessary for the game, when played in the manner to be described. A wall I5 may be provided to define the limits of the playing area cut in slab l2 so that strip 20 may extend continuously across handle l4. Strip 20, seated and retained in groove 24, thus provides a substantially continuous wall around playing area I8.

Area [8 may be divided into a plurality of difier- I ent fields; in the structure shown, two different surfaces 26 and 28 are shown. These surfaces, as shown in Fig. 2, are at two different levels. Surface 26 may be above surface 28, with a ledge 30 between the two surfaces.

Surface 26 may be provided with a plurality of different types of depressed areas. For purposes of illustration, five types of 'such depressions or recesses 32, 34, 35, 38 and 4!] are shown; that is, many of the recesses may be identical in form, but those here designated are taken to be representative. Such various representative recesses may be dispersed throughout the extent of surface 26 according to any desired plan. Associated with each recess may be an indication 42 of the nutriher of points awarded to a player when he attains a result such as to be described further herein.

The recesses may be formed or provided in the gameboard by being molded simultaneously with the formation of slab E2; or, as, for instance, where the slab is made from material such as plywood, the recesses may be produced by proper manipulation of wood turning or working tools. Some of the recesses may be similar to recesses 32. Such recess may be substantially hemispherical in shape. Some of the recesses may take the form of recess 34, which, as appears from Figs. 1'

and 2, is substantially square in plan. The mouth- 44 of recess 34 may be tapered, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, to facilitate cooperation .w-ith2the:

playing piece, in the course of the game to be described. Recesses 34 and 36 may be 'substan.-. tially identical in plan and other structural dee tails. However, as appears from Fig. 1, the di' agonal of the square, in the case of recess 34, may be substantially parallel to the longitudinal'a-Xis of gameboard it. In the caseof recess 36; the diagonal of the recess may be diagonal to that longitudinal axis.

As for recesses 38 and 40, a different effect is produced. Each of these recesses includes a substantially hemispherical portion 46 opening at surface 26. Extending downwardly from and opening into the contour of the hemispherical portion 46 is a terminal portion '43 for each recess 38 and 40. This terminal'portion is square in plan, as are recesses 34 and 35. Furthermore, just as the diagonals of recesses 34'and 36 were disposed in different angular relations to the axis of the gamebcard, so are the diagonals of recesses 38 and 48 arranged in different angular relations to the axis of the gameboard.

In Fig. 3,-a playing piece '50, intended to beplaced on surfaces 26 and 23, is shown. More than one of these pieces may be disposed on surface 26 at any one time. Also, piece 50' may be used with or without the presence of otherpieces, for instance, pieces 52 and 54 such as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

'Ihe ends 56 and'Ei of piece 55 may have differ ent contours. For instance, end'56 maybe substantially a hemisphere; end 58 may be substan tially cubical. Of course, the intersections of corners 58 with bottom 62 of end 58 and bottom 62 itself may be rounded off, as shown, but merely to'facilitate rolling of piece 5'll'on end 58in the manner to be described. Beyond'the hemisphere of end 55, the bodyof piece 58 may take the form of a cylindrical extension 64 ofthehemisphere, that is, the body may be of substantially circular cross-section, the cross-section being of a diameter substantially the same as that of the hemisphere. A fillet or shoulder 55 may beformed between extension 64 and the body of end 58 The length of end 55 and extension 64 is greater than the total length of end 58, for a purpose to be described.

Piece50 is hollow, and has a cavity68 in which a ball 10 may be disposed. Cavity 68 extends between ends 55 and 58, so that ball "i maymove freely from end to end in the cavity. The effec of ball 10, which is of predetermined weight and heavier than the material of which the piece is formed, is to transfer the center of gravity from end'to end as it moves through the cavity, causing piece 50 to stand up, first on one end, and then on the other. holds slab [2 by handle I4, andvibrates th'eslab thereby, tipping and tilting it at 'the'same time,

piece fl'will sway, turn end'over end,"roll, and

Thus, as the one playing the game produce many other motions, some capable of control, and some incapable of prediction. As ball 10 rolls through cavity 68, and changes the center of gravity of the whole unit, the piece will tend to rise, first to rest upon the hemispherical portion, and then to rest upon the cubical portion. Because of the greater length of end 56 and extension 64, the ballwill .be prevented from maintaining piece 50 with-the ball permanently in that end of the cavity at end 58.

The manipulator will try to move the board and the piece so that end 58 will come to rest in recesses: 34 and 36, for which a substantially higherscore maybe allowed, by the rules of the game; than when the piece comes to rest with end 56 in a recess 32. Likewise, different scores may-:beeallcwedwhen end 58 of the piece interfits with terminal portions 48 of recesses 38 and 40. If any of the pieces should pass oil? over ledge 30 from surface 26 onto surface 28, a penalty may be imposed;

Pieces 52 and 54 lik'ewise may be formed with cavities; and may' -have members similar to balls 10 for-changingtheir centers ofgravity. In these nests'in' the-particularrecesses-32, 34, 35,- 38' Pieces 5!], 52'and 54imay be made-inanydeslred manner; The sameplan of construction may be followed in all'cases. For instance; piece 5ll'maybe'formed'of two sections 16 andTB, andbothsections may be molded from plastic. One section 16, at the open end 80, may have a collar" 82, and a shoulder 84 disposed outside the collar."

Section l8'would-then have a reverse formation,

portionsare-so designed that flange 88"will'fit around collar 82. By means of aplastic 'solvent such as acetone, the parts may; be cementedtogether after aballll'l hasbeen positioned within'the cavity.

The participants in such a game are induced" todevelop a high degree of dexterity andskill as they manipulate the, gameboardto' keep." the playing pieces out of area'28; while manipulating them to'stand'upand'seat'within the desired scoring-recesses; necessarily induces desired exercising of muscles of fingers, hand and arm. Of 'course,as-the pieces roll over surface 26, it will be the endeavor of the playerv to fit a square peg intoa square hole; for. the best'score, and to avoidfitting around peg'zinto 'a' square hole:

Many other; changes could be effected'inzthe particular apparatus, and in theparticular -prod-; ucts, and in the methods of'operation, .useand, construction, and in specific details thereof, here-- inbefore set forth, without substantially depart--v ing from the invention-defined'in the claims, the

specific description being merely ofembodiments.

capable of illustrating certain principles of, the invention.

What isclaimed as new and useful is 1.

1. In a gameboard device, a gameboard inc1u d=- ing a substantially flat playing surface, a playing Of course, such manipulation piece for disposition upon the playing surface, the surface having a plurality of indentations formed therein, means for manipulating the V gameboard to cause the piece to move over the playing surface, and means for retaining the piece against movement oif the surface, the piece including portions each of a distinctly different contour from that of another portion, and certain of the indentations having a form distinctiy different from the form of others of the indentatio-ns, each contour of a portion of the piece being complementary to at least one of the forms of the indentations.

2. In a gameboard device, a gameboard including a substantially fiat playing surface, a playing piece for disposition upon the playing surface, the surface having a plurality of indentations formed therein, means for manipulating the gameboard to cause the piece to move over the playing surface, and means for retaining the piece against movement off the surface, certain of the indentations having a form distinctly different from the form of others of the indentations, at least one of the indentations being of a spherical form, one end of the piece having a non-spherical contour complementary to the form of at least one of the indentations so that the piece may come to rest and nest in at least one of the indentations, the other end of the piece having a substantially spherical contour.

3. In a gameboard device, a gameboard including a substantially flat playing surface, a depressed area beyond the flat surface, the playing surface providing a shoulder between the surface and the area, a playing piece for disposition upon the playing surface, the substantially flat playing surface. having a plurality of indentations formed therein, and means for manipulating the gameboard to cause the piece tomove over the playing surface, at least one of the indentations having its contour made up of portions of a plurality of distinctly different forms, one portion of the piece having a contour complementary to only one of the forms of said indentation so that the piece may come to rest and nest in said indentation but only in association with the complementary contour.

4. In a gameboard device, a gamehoard including aplaying surface, a playing piece for disposition upon the playing surface, the surface having a plurality of indentations formed therein, and means for manipulating the gameboard to cause the piece to move over the playing, surface, the piece having a pair of ends and including means for controlling the center of gravityof the piece so that the piece will come to rest substantially on one of its ends, each end of the piece having a contouring distinctively different from the contouring of the other end, and certain of the indentations having a form distinctively diiferent from the form of other indentations, each end of the piece being designed to interfit with at least one of the distinctively different contourings of the indentations.

5. In a garneboard device, a gam-eboard including a playing surface, a playing piece for disposition upon the playing surface, the surface having a plurality of indentations formed therein, and means for manipulating the gameboard to cause the piece to move over the playing surface, the piece comprising a hollow body and having a pair of ends, and means within, the hollow of the body for controlling the center of gravity of the piece so that the piece will come to rest substantially on one of the ends, each end of the piece having a contouring distinctively different from the contouring of the other end, and at least one of the indentations comprising a recess ofone form, and another recess of I a different formopening from the first mentioned recess, the contouring of one of the ends of the piece being complementary to and designed to interfit with one of said recess and the contouring of the other end of the piece being complementary to and designed to interfit with the other of the recesses.

OSCAR MAUTNER.

MARK K. LEBWORTH. 

